Electric lighting fixture assembly



y 1962 E. BARRETT 3,043,611

ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 25, 1958 H7 TORIUEY Unite tion of Pennsylvania 7 Filed Aug. 25, 1953, Ser. No. 756,846

' 2 Claims. (til. 285-464) The present invention relates to electric fittings and more particularly to a swivel unit for attachment to a tubular standard carrying conducting wires from a source of voltage for connection by way of the fitting to an electric lamp or other device.

In fittings of the character to which the invention relates it has heretofore had to rely upon threaded parts which are difiicult to assemble without intertwisting the conducting wires to thereby cause short circuits or breaking of the wires. Furthermore, such threaded connections are responsive to swivel movements and sooner or later become loose with the aforesaid result of twisted or broken wires.

An object of the invention is to provide a swivel fitting wherein the foregoing disadvantages are overcome.

Another object is to provide a swivel fitting for a telescopic assembly with a fixed part defining access through an aperture to a tubular standard carrying conducting w1res.

Another object is to provide a fitting formed by a housing containing internal parts having two axes at right angles for selectively positioning a connection for a lamp or other device by a dual swivel action.

A further object is to provide a swivel fitting for free sliding assembly in the aperture of a tubular standard and including an interlock to prevent axial withdrawal of the fitting. V 7

A still further object is to provide a fitting telescopically mounted upon a tubular standard wherein the fitting is held against turning while its internal swivel parts are actuated.

Further objects will appear hereinafter in the accompanying specification wherein:

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a lamp standard equipped with the swivel unit of the invention, the standard in this view being provided with three such units;

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the unit and the co- 1 acting standard portion in section;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the swivel unit collar as would be seen when viewed along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the complemental end of the swivel member to mate with the part shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an axial section view of the swivel member as assembled upon a lamp standard;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the interconnected swivel member end with the standard attached P FIG. 7 is an enlarged axial section view of the housed swivel end of the member showing one portion of the lamp connector in plan, and the other portion in section;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the lamp connector;

FIG. 9 is a section view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 8,

and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the swivel member as assem bled with the lamp connector.

Referring to the drawings one form of the invention includes, as a part of the complete swivel assembly, a collar 10 telescopically fitted about the tubular lamp standard 11, this latter having a side aperture 12 for the passage of the circuit wires. The collar 10' is formed with a tubular offset 13, the bore of which in assembled condition forms an axially aligned continuation of the aperture 12 for receiving one end 14 of a tubular support member States atent ice sion 13. Thus in any inserted angular position of the end 14, the set screw 16 coacts with the groove 17 to prevent withdrawal of the member 15.

In order to preventturning of the member 15 during turning of the swivel part about its axis, theexposed end of the'ofitset 13 is counter-bored to form a rectangular socket 18, in this instance, of square configuration, to seat a complemental part 20 projecting as an integral part of a circumferential flange 21 of the member 15. Thus with the parts in mated relation the member 15 resists any torque applied by a turning movement.

For supporting the lamp connection unit for rotation about the axis of the member 15, that length of the member 15 extending from the flange 21 at the side opposite to the end 14, is of stepped configuration forming a shouldered cylindrical portion 22 which terminates in a reduced shouldered cylindrical stem 23. This stem 23 is arranged to be gripped between two spring clips 24 and 25, each of arcuate configuration for gripping the stem 23 butpermitting relative turning movement. The spring pressed ends of the twoclips 2,4 and 25 are retained ,by an serves as a pivot for a still, flat strip '30 which isriveted or otherwise made fast to, the inner face of the clip 24. The trunnion 26 and strip 30 straddle parts of the lamp connector, as will be described. Similarly the clip 25 terminates in an ofisettrunnion 31 whichis pivoted upon a pin 32 passing through the other side of the split housing 28, it being understood that the two pins 27 and 32- are in true alinement. The pin 32 also serves as a pivot for a stiflf, flat strip 34 which is riveted at its other end to the inner face of the clip 25. The two strips 30 and 34 parallel the axis which passes lengthwise of the member 15.

The lamp connector unit comprises an externally threaded tubular body 35, the bore 36 provides a through passage for the circuit wires 37 to the attached lamp fixture 38. The sides 39 of the body 35 are respectively of cupped cylindrical form to seat in the respective trunnions 26 and 31, while a portion of larger diameter of each rides in the respective spaces between the clips 24 and 25 and the strips 30 and 34. Also the sides 39 are an integral part of an arcuate cover 40 which is generated about the pivot provided by the pins 27 and 32. That portion of the cover 44) which would engage the strips 30 and 34 during the turning of the connector body 35, to a new position, is cut away as shown in FIG. 9, and hasits free edge formed with notches 41 in order to straddle the strip 30 at one side, and the strip 34 at the other side.

For housing the swivel parts the two part housing 28 is provided, each housing part having inturned ends 42 to grip about the swivel clip trunnions 26 and 31, while the body of the housing tapers lengthwise toward the support member 15 to grip opposite sides of the shoulder face 22. This shoulder gripping end of the housing 28 terminates in arcuate lips 42' which are retained by an arcuate flange 43 of a snap-on ring 44 which fits about the shouldered portion 22 of the member 15. When so mounted the housing 28 not ,only protects the movable internal parts while turning about the axis of the mmeber 15, but can serve as a handle for the fitting. Any suitable stops can be employed to limit the angular turning as will be understood.

The trunnion mounted lamp connector unit provides means for turning this connector about an axis at right angles to the axis of the member 15 whereby the complete swivel operation gives substantially the function of an universal joint. Also it should be noted that while the cover;40 is cut-away it stillserves to close the open end of the housing in all positions of the connector.

In assembling the swivel unit in position upon the tubular standard for registering with an aperture 12, the lead-in wires from the source of voltage are fished out through the aperture 12 and the bore of the offset of the collar 10, and then connected respectively to the Wires leading to the lamp or other fixture. With the connections properly made the protruding connected wires are pushed backinto thestandard as the end 14 of the swivel member 15 is brought into telescopic relation with the collar ofiset 13 to protrude Within the bore of the standard 11. The set screw 16 is now threaded through the ofiset collar 13 to enter the groove 17 and thus lock the swivel member 15 against withdrawal from the standard. When the parts are thus brought together, the square part 20 has been seated in'the square socket 18 so that turning of the member 15 relative to the fixed collar extension is prevented. I

As so mounted the lamp connector unit can selectively be swung to turn either about the axis of the swivel member 15 or about the axis formed by the pivot pins 27 and B2. In all positions of the latter swivel the housed parts are concealed by the cover 40 of the connector unit.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary swivel fitting for lamp or other connections has been devised prising an apertured mounting member adapted for securement to a support structure, a tubular member one end of which is non-rotatably disposed within the aperture of said mounting member, means detachably interlocking the tubular member to the mounting member so that said tubular memberrnay be readily detached from said mounting member While the latter remains firmly secured to a support structure, and electrical fixture supporting means rotatably disposed upon the opposite noninterlocked end of said tubular member for rotation about the tubular axis thereof, said tubular member opposite end being of circular cross-section, and said last named means including a pair of parallel spring clips extending axially of said tubular member and terminating at one end in arcuate formations disposed about the said tubular member opposite end and rotatably secured thereto by an encircling collar, the remote ends of said spring clips having a bridging pivot mounting therebetween a tubular connector for direct securement to an electrical fixture, the pivotal axis of said tubular connector being transversely oriented relative to the rotational axis of said spring clips.

2. The fitting according to claim 1 further including a pair of flat strips each of which is secured at one of its 7 ends to a different one of said spring clips and mounted at its other end upon said pivot, said pivotally mounted tubular connector having opposite sides each respectively disposed upon said pivot between one of said spring clips and its associated fiat strip.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,526,070 Early Oct. 17, 1950 2,617,619 Versen Nov. 11, 1952 2,709,097 Leary May 24, 1955 2,862,730 Berger Dec. 2, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 618,163 France Mar. 4, 1927 965,929 France Sept. 26, 1950 

